For our anniversary this year, my SAT (self-appointed trainer) and I decided to spend a week in southern Colorado and escape the Phoenix heat. What a treat that was! We (that is….ME) planned a week of hiking, biking, and eating in the Ouray and Durango area and, like all vacations, the week went by SO quickly. I took a ton of pictures, but will share only the best ones here. 🙂

Day 1: We started our trip in Ouray, otherwise known as the “Switzerland of America,” due to its climate, natural alpine environment, and scenery. To get to Ouray, we had to drive along the famous “Million Dollar Highway,” a.k.a., US Route 550. The stretch of highway called the Million Dollar Highway runs between Silverton and Ouray and is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the US because of how narrow, twisty, and exposed it is. Oh, and there is definitely a lack of guard rails! Once we arrived in Ouray, we checked into our hotel, then walked down to grab some dinner and drinks at Maggie’s Kitchen and Grumpy Pants Brewery (I love the name!). After dinner, we walked around for a bit to get our bearings and enjoy the cool mountain air.

Day 2: The next morning, we found out that our hotel room comes with free breakfast at a nearby restaurant called Mi Mexico. Breakfast was wonderful and filling! We were then prepared to tackle the Ouray Perimeter Trail, which is a picturesque hiking trail that circles the entire town. I think hiking this trail was the perfect introduction to the altitude and the area’s beauty. The trail is about 5.5 miles long (almost 9 km), gains about 1,600 feet (490 m) in elevation, and is never more than 500 feet vertically or a half mile horizontally from Ouray’s city limits. Along the way, we saw a couple of waterfalls, lots of wildflowers, beautiful mountain views, bridges, and cool rock formations. We also got very wet near the end of the hike because it suddenly started pouring rain. Luckily, we found some shelter and waited out the rain for about 20 minutes. This trail is really unique and it was definitely a highlight for me! After the hike, we went to the Ouray Brewery for dinner. We got seats on the second floor patio overlooking Main Street and enjoyed our dinner and people watching.

Day 3: The next day, we said goodbye to Ouray and drove to the trailhead for Red Mountain N3. This hike was a relatively easy one, but the altitude made breathing a little challenging for me! My Apple watch indicated that this hike was just over 4 miles round-trip and gained 1,600 feet. The views were absolutely gorgeous! After the hike, we drove to Silverton to get some lunch and do some window shopping. My SAT said he really wanted a funnel cake, so we got him one of those. He wasn’t able to finish it. Finally, we headed to our Airbnb and met the hosts’ dogs, Hank and Hannah. They are a pair of adorable Golden Retrievers who love to play! Hank and Hannah came by several times a day to say hello and to play fetch, which was very endearing. The Airbnb itself was immaculate and had an awesome view of the San Juan mountains.

Stay tuned for Part 2!